Method and apparatus for editing and mixing sound recordings

ABSTRACT

The present disclosure relates to audio mixing and editing devices and methods. A system is provided that permits mixing of and editing of multiple input audio tracks through the use of visual representation of audio signals. By viewing the visual representations of the audio inputs, a user is able to achieve a desired mix of signals with more accuracy and efficiency when compared with mixing based on hearing alone.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication Ser. No. 60/912,796, filed Apr. 19, 2007, entitled “Methodand Apparatus for Editing and Mixing Sound Recordings.” This applicationalso relates to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/830,386filed Jul. 12, 2006 entitled “Apparatus and Method for VisualizingMusical Notation”, U.S. Utility patent application Ser. No. 11/827,264filed Jul. 11, 2007 entitled “Apparatus and Method for Visualizing Musicand Other Sounds”, U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No.60/921,578, filed Apr. 3, 2007, entitled “Device and Method forVisualizing Musical Rhythmic Structures”, and U.S. utility patentapplication Ser. No. 12/023,375 filed Jan. 31, 2008 entitled “Device andMethod for Visualizing Musical Rhythmic Structures”. All of theseapplications are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure relates generally to sound recording and, morespecifically, to a method and apparatus for editing and mixing soundrecordings using analysis of tonal and rhythmic structures.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

Sound or music recording studios often have multiple track recordingequipment that is used to record specific instruments or vocal tracks,or to add tracks at a later time or that were recorded at a differentlocation. A sound engineer will edit and mix the various recorded tracksto create the finished recording. This process is typically done by“ear” with the engineer being trained to edit and mix tracks, e.g.,adjusting the volume or amplitude of one track vis-à-vis another track,based on listening to the mixed and edited result. Often remixing orreediting is necessary as the recorded tracks increase in number. Thequality of the finished recording is therefore only as good as theexpertise of the sound engineer. Methods are needed to improve theefficiency and quality of the editing and mixing process.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, in one aspect, an audio mixing end editing system isdisclosed, comprising a user input device, a processing device, and adisplay; wherein said processing device executes computer readable codeto create a first visual representation of a first one of a plurality ofinput audio signals for output on said display; wherein said firstvisual representation is generated according to a method comprising thesteps of: (a) labeling the perimeter of a circle with a plurality oflabels corresponding to a plurality of frequency bands, such that movingradially inward or outward from any one of said labels represents achange in signal amplitude at the frequency corresponding to said one offirst labels; (b) identifying a first occurrence a first frequencyhaving a first amplitude within said first one of a plurality of inputaudio signals; and (c) graphically indicating a point along a radialaxis corresponding to said first amplitude; said radial axis connectingthe center of said circle and said first label.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The patent or application file contains at least one drawing executed incolor. Copies of this patent or patent application publication withcolor drawing(s) will be provided by the Office upon request and paymentof the necessary fee.

FIG. 1 is a diagram of a twelve-tone circle according to one embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a diagram of a twelve-tone circle showing the six intervals.

FIG. 3 is a diagram of a twelve-tone circle showing the chromatic scale.

FIG. 4 is a diagram of a twelve-tone circle showing the first throughthird diminished scales.

FIG. 5 is a diagram of a twelve-tone circle showing all six tri-tones.

FIG. 6 is a diagram of a twelve-tone circle showing a major triad.

FIG. 7 is a diagram of a twelve-tone circle showing a major seventhchord.

FIG. 8 is a diagram of a twelve-tone circle showing a major scale.

FIGS. 9-10 are diagrams of a helix showing a B diminished seventh chord.

FIG. 11 is a diagram of a helix showing an F minor triad covering threeoctaves.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the visual representation of percussivemusic according to one embodiment shown with associated standardnotation for the same percussive music.

FIG. 13 is a two dimensional view looking along the time line of avisual representation of percussive music at an instant when sixpercussive instruments are being simultaneously sounded.

FIG. 14 is a two dimensional view looking perpendicular to the time lineof the visual representation of percussive music according to thedisclosure associated with standard notation for the same percussivemusic of FIG. 12.

FIG. 15 is a schematic block diagram showing an audio mixing and editingsystem according to one embodiment.

FIG. 16 is a visualization of the frequency components contained withinan input audio signal according to one embodiment.

FIG. 17 is a visualization of the frequency and amplitudecharacteristics of an input audio signal according to one embodiment.

FIG. 18 is a set of multiple visualizations displayed simultaneouslyconveying the frequency and amplitude characteristics of an input audiosignal according to one embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of theinvention, reference will now be made to the embodiment illustrated inthe drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. Itwill nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of theinvention is thereby intended, and alterations and modifications in theillustrated device, and further applications of the principles of theinvention as illustrated therein are herein contemplated as wouldnormally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates.

Before describing the system and method for editing and mixing audiorecordings, a summary of the above-referenced music tonal and rhythmicvisualization methods will be presented. The tonal visualization methodsare described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/827,264 filed Jul.11, 2007 entitled “Apparatus and Method for Visualizing Music and OtherSounds” which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

There are three traditional scales or ‘patterns’ of musical tone thathave developed over the centuries. These three scales, each made up ofseven notes, have become the foundation for virtually all musicaleducation in the modern world. There are, of course, other scales, andit is possible to create any arbitrary pattern of notes that one maydesire; but the vast majority of musical sound can still be traced backto these three primary scales.

Each of the three main scales is a lopsided conglomeration of sevenintervals:

Major scale: 2 steps, 2 steps, 1 step, 2 steps, 2 steps, 2 steps, 1 stepHarmonic Minor 2, 1, 2, 2, 1, 3, 1 Scale: Melodic Minor 2, 1, 2, 2, 2,2, 1 Scale:

Unfortunately, our traditional musical notation system has also beenbased upon the use of seven letters (or note names) to correspond withthe seven notes of the scale: A, B, C, D, E, F and G. The problem isthat, depending on which of the three scales one is using, there areactually twelve possible tones to choose from in the ‘pool’ of notesused by the three scales. Because of this discrepancy, the traditionalsystem of musical notation has been inherently lopsided at its root.

With a circle of twelve tones and only seven note names, there are (ofcourse) five missing note names. To compensate, the traditional systemof music notation uses a somewhat arbitrary system of ‘sharps’ (♯'s) and‘flats’ (♭'s) to cover the remaining five tones so that a singlenotation system can be used to encompass all three scales. For example,certain key signatures will have seven ‘pure letter’ tones (like ‘A’) inaddition to sharp or flat tones (like C^(♯) or G^(♭)), depending on thekey signature. This leads to a complex system of reading and writingnotes on a staff, where one has to mentally juggle a key signature withvarious accidentals (sharps and flats) that are then added one note at atime. The result is that the seven-note scale, which is a lopsidedentity, is presented as a straight line on the traditional musicalnotation staff. On the other hand, truly symmetrical patterns (such asthe chromatic scale) are represented in a lopsided manner on thetraditional musical staff. All of this inefficiency stems from theinherent flaw of the traditional written system being based upon theseven note scales instead of the twelve-tone circle.

To overcome this inefficiency, a set of mathematically based,color-coded MASTER KEY™ diagrams is presented to better explain thetheory and structures of music using geometric form and the colorspectrum. As shown in FIG. 1, the twelve tone circle 10 is the templateupon which all of the other diagrams are built. Twelve points 10.1-10.12are geometrically placed in equal intervals around the perimeter of thecircle 10 in the manner of a clock; twelve points, each thirty degreesapart. Each of the points 10.1-10.12 on the circle 10 represents one ofthe twelve pitches. The names of the various pitches can then be plottedaround the circle 10. It will be appreciated that in traditional musicalnotation there are more than one name for each pitch (e.g., A^(♯) is thesame as B^(♭)), which causes inefficiency and confusion since each notecan be ‘spelled’ in two different ways. In the illustrated embodiment,the circle 10 has retained these traditional labels, although thepresent disclosure comprehends that alternative labels can be used, suchas the letters A-L, or numbers 1-12. Furthermore, the circle 10 of FIG.1 uses the sharp notes as labels; however, it will be understood thatsome or all of these sharp notes can be labeled with their flatequivalents and that some of the non-sharp and non-flat notes can belabeled with the sharp or flat equivalents.

The next ‘generation’ of the MASTER KEY™ diagrams involves thinking interms of two note ‘intervals.’ The Interval diagram, shown in FIG. 2, isthe second of the MASTER KEY™ diagrams, and is formed by connecting thetop point 10.12 of the twelve-tone circle 10 to every other point10.1-10.11. The ensuing lines—their relative length and color—representthe various ‘intervals.’ It shall be understood that while elevenintervals are illustrated in FIG. 2, there are actually only six basicintervals to consider. This is because any interval larger than thetri-tone (displayed in purple in FIG. 2) has a ‘mirror’ interval on theopposite side of the circle. For example, the whole-step intervalbetween C (point 10.12) and D (point 10.2) is equal to that between C(point 10.12) and A^(♯) (point 10.10).

Another important aspect of the MASTER KEY™ diagrams is the use ofcolor. Because there are six basic music intervals, the six basic colorsof the rainbow can be used to provide another way to comprehend thebasic structures of music. In a preferred embodiment, the interval line12 for a half step is colored red, the interval line 14 for a whole stepis colored orange, the interval line 16 for a minor third is coloredyellow, the interval line 18 for a major third is colored green, theinterval line 20 for a perfect fourth is colored blue, and the intervalline 22 for a tri-tone is colored purple. In other embodiments,different color schemes may be employed. What is desirable is that thereis a gradated color spectrum assigned to the intervals so that they maybe distinguished from one another by the use of color, which the humaneye can detect and process very quickly.

The next group of MASTER KEY™ diagrams pertains to extending the variousintervals 12-22 to their completion around the twelve-tone circle 10.This concept is illustrated in FIG. 3, which is the diagram of thechromatic scale. In these diagrams, each interval is the same colorsince all of the intervals are equal (in this case, a half-step). In thelarger intervals, only a subset of the available tones is used tocomplete one trip around the circle. For example, the minor-third scale,which gives the sound of a diminished scale and forms the shape of asquare 40, requires three transposed scales to fill all of the availabletones, as illustrated in FIG. 4. The largest interval, the tri-tone,actually remains a two-note shape 22, with six intervals needed tocomplete the circle, as shown in FIG. 5.

The next generation of MASTER KEY™ diagrams is based upon musical shapesthat are built with three notes. In musical terms, three note structuresare referred to as triads. There are only four triads in all of diatonicmusic, and they have the respective names of major, minor, diminished,and augmented. These four, three-note shapes are represented in theMASTER KEY™ diagrams as different sized triangles, each built withvarious color coded intervals. As shown in FIG. 6, for example, themajor triad 600 is built by stacking (in a clockwise direction) a majorthird 18, a minor third 16, and then a perfect fourth 20. This resultsin a triangle with three sides in the respective colors of green,yellow, and blue, following the assigned color for each interval in thetriad. The diagrams for the remaining triads (minor, diminished, andaugmented) follow a similar approach.

The next group of MASTER KEY™ diagrams are developed from four notes ata time. Four note chords, in music, are referred to as seventh chords,and there are nine types of seventh chords. FIG. 7 shows the diagram ofthe first seventh chord, the major seventh chord 700, which is createdby stacking the following intervals (as always, in a clockwise manner):a major third, a minor third 16, another major third 18, and a half step12. The above description illustrates the outer shell of the majorseventh chord 700 (a four-sided polyhedron); however, generalobservation will quickly reveal a new pair of ‘internal’ intervals,which haven't been seen in previous diagrams (in this instance, twoperfect fourths 20). The eight remaining types of seventh chords canlikewise be mapped on the MASTER KEY™ circle using this method.

Every musical structure that has been presented thus far in the MASTERKEY™ system, aside from the six basic intervals, has come directly outof three main scales. Again, the three main scales are as follows: theMajor Scale, the Harmonic-Minor Scale, and the Melodic-Minor Scale. Themajor scale is the most common of the three main scales and is heardvirtually every time music is played or listened to in the westernworld. As shown in FIG. 8 and indicated generally at 800, the MASTERKEY™ diagram clearly shows the major scale's 800 makeup and itsnaturally lopsided nature. Starting at the top of the circle 10, onetravels clockwise around the scale's outer shell. The following patternof intervals is then encountered: whole step 14, whole step 14, halfstep 12, whole step 14, whole step 14, whole step 14, half step 12. Themost important aspect of each scale diagram is, without a doubt, thediagram's outer ‘shell.’ Therefore, the various internal intervals inthe scale's interior are not shown. Since we started at point 10.12, orC, the scale 800 is the C major scale. Other major scales may be createdby starting at one of the other notes on the twelve-tone circle 10. Thissame method can be used to create diagrams for the harmonic minor andmelodic minor scales as well.

The previously described diagrams have been shown in two dimensions;however, music is not a circle as much as it is a helix. Every twelfthnote (an octave) is one helix turn higher or lower than the precedinglevel. What this means is that music can be viewed not only as a circlebut as something that will look very much like a DNA helix,specifically, a helix of approximately ten and one-half turns (i.e.octaves). There are only a small number of helix turns in the completespectrum of audible sound; from the lowest auditory sound to the highestauditory sound. By using a helix instead of a circle, not only can therelative pitch difference between the notes be discerned, but theabsolute pitch of the notes can be seen as well. For example, FIG. 9shows a helix 100 about an axis 900 in a perspective view with a chord910 (a fully diminished seventh chord in this case) placed within. InFIG. 10, the perspective has been changed to allow each octave point onconsecutive turns of the helix to line up. This makes it possible to usea single set of labels around the helix. The user is then able to seethat this is a B fully diminished seventh chord and discern which octavethe chord resides in.

The use of the helix becomes even more powerful when a single chord isrepeated over multiple octaves. For example, FIG. 11 shows how three Fminor triad chords look when played together over three and one-halfoctaves. In two dimensions, the user will only see one triad, since allthree of the triads perfectly overlap on the circle. In thethree-dimensional helix, however, the extended scale is visible acrossall three octaves.

The above described MASTER KEY™ system provides a method forunderstanding the tonal information within musical compositions. Anothermethod, however, is needed to deal with the rhythmic information, thatis, the duration of each of the notes and relative time therebetween.Such rhythmic visualization methods are described in U.S. utility patentapplication Ser. No. 12/023,375 filed Jan. 31, 2008 entitled “Device andMethod for Visualizing Musical Rhythmic Structures” which is also herebyincorporated by reference in its entirety.

In addition to being flawed in relation to tonal expression, traditionalsheet music also has shortcomings with regards to rhythmic information.This becomes especially problematic for percussion instruments that,while tuned to a general frequency range, primarily contribute to therhythmic structure of music. For example, traditional staff notation1250, as shown in the upper portion of FIG. 12, uses notes 1254 ofbasically the same shape (an oval) for all of the drums in a modern drumkit and a single shape 1256 (an ‘x’ shape) for all of the cymbals. Whatis needed is a method that more intuitively conveys the character ofindividual rhythmic instruments and the underlying rhythmic structurespresent in a given composition.

The lower portion of FIG. 12 shows one embodiment of the disclosedmethod which utilizes spheroids 1204 and toroids 1206, 1208, 1210, 1212and 1214 of various shapes and sizes in three dimensions placed along atime line 1202 to represent the various rhythmic components of aparticular musical composition. The lowest frequencies or lowestinstrument in the composition (i.e. the bass drum) will appear asspheroids 1204. As the rhythmical frequencies get higher in range,toroids 1206, 1208, 1210, 1212 and 1214 of various sizes are used torepresent the sounded instrument. While the diameter and thicknesses ofthese spheroids and toroids may be adjustable components that arecustomizable by the user, the focus will primarily be on making thevisualization as “crisply” precise as possible. In general, therefore,as the relative frequency of the sounded instrument increases, themaximum diameter of the spheroid or toroid used to depict the soundingof the instrument also increases. For example, the bass drum isrepresented by a small spheroid 1204, the floor tom by toroid 1212, therack tom by toroid 1214, the snare by toroid 1210, the high-hat cymbalby toroid 1208, and the crash cymbal by toroid 1206. Those skilled inthe art will recognize that other geometric shapes may be utilized torepresent the sounds of the instruments within the scope of thedisclosure.

FIG. 13 shows another embodiment which utilizes a two-dimensional viewlooking into the time line 1202. In this embodiment, the spheroids 1204and toroids 1206, 1208, 1210 and 1212 from FIG. 12 correspond to circles1304 and rings 1306, 1308, 1310 and 1312, respectively. The lowestfrequencies (i.e. the bass drum) will appear as a solid circle 1304 in ahard copy embodiment. Again, as the relative frequency of the soundedinstrument increases, the maximum diameter of the circle or ring used todepict the sounding of the instrument also increases, as shown by thescale 1302.

Because cymbals have a higher auditory frequency than drums, cymbaltoroids have a resultantly larger diameter than any of the drums.Furthermore, the amorphous sound of a cymbal will, as opposed to thecrisp sound of a snare, be visualized as a ring of varying thickness,much like the rings of a planet or a moon. The “splash” of the cymbalcan then be animated as a shimmering effect within this toroid. In oneembodiment, the shimmering effect can be achieved by randomly varyingthe thickness of the toroid at different points over the circumferenceof the toroid during the time period in which the cymbal is beingsounded as shown by toroid 1204 and ring 1306 in FIGS. 12 and 13,respectively. It shall be understood by those with skill in the art thatother forms of image manipulation may be used to achieve this shimmereffect.

FIG. 14 shows another embodiment which utilizes a two dimensional viewtaken perpendicular to the time line 1202. In this view, the previouslyseen circles, spheroids, rings or toroids turn into bars of variousheight and thickness. Spheroids 1204 and toroids 1206, 1208, 1210, 1212and 1214 from FIG. 12 correspond to bars 1404, 1406, 1408, 1410, 1412,and 1414 in FIG. 14. For each instrument, its corresponding bar has aheight that relates to the particular space or line in, above, or belowthe staff on which the musical notation for that instrument istranscribed in standard notation. Additionally, the thickness of the barfor each instrument corresponds with the duration or decay time of thesound played by that instrument. For example, bar 1406 is much widerthan bar 1404, demonstrating the difference in duration when a bass drumand a crash cymbal are struck. To enhance the visual effect whenmultiple instruments are played simultaneously, certain bars may befilled in with color or left open.

The spatial layout of the two dimensional side view shown in FIG. 14also corresponds to the time at which the instrument is sounded, similarto the manner in which music is displayed in standard notation (to somedegree). Thus, the visual representation of rhythm generated by thedisclosed system and method can be easily converted to sheet music instandard notation by substituting the various bars (and spacestherebetween) into their corresponding representations in standardnotation. For example, bar 1404 (representing the bass drum) will beconverted to a note 1254 in the lowest space 1260 a of staff 1252.Likewise, bar 1410 (representing the snare drum) will be converted to anote 1256 in the second highest space 1260 c of staff 1252.

The 3-D visualization of this Rhythmical Component as shown, forexample, in FIG. 12, results in imagery that appears much like a‘wormhole’ or tube. For each composition of music, a finite length tubeis created by the system which represents all of the rhythmic structuresand relationships within the composition. This finite tube may bedisplayed to the user in its entirety, much like traditional sheetmusic. For longer compositions, the tube may be presented to the user insections to accommodate different size video display screens. To enhancethe user's understanding of the particular piece of music, the 3-D‘wormhole’ image may incorporate real time animation, creating thevisual effect of the user traveling through the tube. In one embodiment,the rhythmic structures appear at the point “nearest” to the user asthey occur in real time, and travel towards the “farthest” end of thetube, giving the effect of the user traveling backwards through thetube.

The two-dimensional view of FIG. 13 can also be modified to incorporatea perspective of the user looking straight “into” the three-dimensionaltube or tunnel, with the graphical objects made to appear “right infront of” the user and then move away and into the tube, eventuallyshrinking into a distant center perspective point. It shall beunderstood that animation settings for any of the views in FIGS. 12-14can be modified by the user in various embodiments, such as reversingthe animation direction or the duration of decay for objects whichappear and the fade into the background. This method of rhythmvisualization may also incorporate the use of color to distinguish thedifferent rhythmic structures within a composition of music, much likethe MASTER KEY™ diagrams use color to distinguish between tonalintervals. For example, each instance of the bass drum being sounded canbe represented by a sphere of a given color to help the user visuallydistinguish it when displayed among shapes representing otherinstruments.

In other embodiments, each spheroid (whether it appears as such or as acircle or line) and each toroid (whether it appears as such or as aring, line or bar) representing a beat when displayed on the graphicaluser interface will have an associated small “flag” or access controlbutton. By mouse-clicking on one of these access controls, or byclick-dragging a group of controls, a user will be able to highlight andaccess a chosen beat or series of beats. With a similar attachment tothe Master Key™ music visualization software (available from Musical DNALLC, Indianapolis, Ind.), it will become very easy for a user to linkchosen notes and musical chords with certain beats and create entiremusical compositions without the need to write music using standardnotation. This will allow access to advanced forms of musicalcomposition and musical interaction for musical amateurs around theworld.

The present disclosure utilizes the previously described visualizationmethods as a basis for an audio mixing and editing system. The easilyvisualized tonal and rhythmic shapes provide a much more intuitivegraphical format for use in interpreting the audio characteristics of arecorded track or combination of tracks. Using these visualizations, anengineer can improve the quality and efficiency of the mixes or editsrequired for a sound recording project.

FIG. 15, shows, in schematic form, one embodiment of an audio editingand mixing system 1500 according to the present disclosure. It isunderstood that one or more of the functions described herein may beimplemented as either hardware or software, and the manner in which anyfeature or function is described does not limit such implementation onlyto the manner or particular embodiment described. The system 1500 mayinclude a first subsystem 1501 including a recorder 1502, a processingdevice 1508, a data storage device 1509, a display 1510, user inputdevices such as keyboard 1512, mouse 1514, and mixing controller 1515, aprinter device 1516 and one or more speakers 1520. These devices arecoupled to allow the input of recorded audio tracks into the processingdevice 1508 so that the audio information can be produced by speaker1520 and visual representations of the signals can be displayed,printed, or manipulated by users. Although the system 1500 is describedas including a recorder 1502, it is understood that system 1500 may beconfigured to operate with an external or existing recorder from whichthe processing device receives the signals and generates correspondingvisualizations. Scanning device 1506 is also optionally included toprovide an alternate source of input by scanning written sheet music1504 to be converted into audio signals by processing unit 1508.

Recorder 1502 may comprise a multi-track analog audio tape or digitalaudio recorder which receives one or more individual audio signals fromaudio sources 1560. Audio sources 1560 may include microphones,traditional analog or digital musical instruments, digital musicplayers, such as MP3 devices, preamplifiers, analog to digitalconverters, submixing units, or other audio sources commonly used in arecording studio. In addition, the functionality of multi-track recorder1502 may be incorporated into the processing device 1508, with theindividual track signals being routed directly from audio sources 1560to the processing device 1508.

The processing device 1508 may be implemented on a personal computer, aworkstation computer, a laptop computer, a palmtop computer, a wirelessterminal having computing capabilities (such as a cell phone having aWindows CE or Palm operating system), an embedded processor system, orthe like. It will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art thatother computer system architectures may also be employed.

In general, such a processing device 1508, when implemented using acomputer, comprises a bus for communicating information, a processorcoupled with the bus for processing information, a main memory coupledto the bus for storing information and instructions for the processor, aread-only memory coupled to the bus for storing static information andinstructions for the processor. The display 1510 is coupled to the busfor displaying information for a computer user and the user inputdevices 1512, 1514, and 1515 are coupled to the bus for communicatinginformation and command selections to the processor. A mass storageinterface for communicating with data storage device 1509 containingdigital information may also be included in processing device 1508 aswell as a network interface for communicating with a network.

The processor may be any of a wide variety of general purpose processorsor microprocessors such as the PENTIUM microprocessor manufactured byIntel Corporation, a POWER PC manufactured by IBM Corporation, a SPARCprocessor manufactured by Sun Corporation, or the like. It will beapparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, however, that othervarieties of processors may also be used in a particular computersystem. Display 1510 may be a liquid crystal device (LCD), a lightemitting diode device (LED), a cathode ray tube (CRT), a plasma monitor,a holographic display, or other suitable display device. The massstorage interface may allow the processor access to the digitalinformation in the data storage devices via the bus. The mass storageinterface may be a universal serial bus (USB) interface, an integrateddrive electronics (IDE) interface, a serial advanced technologyattachment (SATA) interface or the like, coupled to the bus fortransferring information and instructions. The data storage device 1509may be a conventional hard disk drive, a floppy disk drive, a flashdevice (such as a jump drive or SD card), an optical drive such as acompact disc (CD) drive, digital versatile disc (DVD) drive, HD DVDdrive, BLUE-RAY DVD drive, or another magnetic, solid state, or opticaldata storage device, along with the associated medium (a floppy disk, aCD-ROM, a DVD, etc.)

In general, the processor retrieves processing instructions and datafrom the data storage device 1509 using the mass storage interface anddownloads this information into random access memory for execution. Theprocessor then executes an instruction stream from random access memoryor read-only memory. Command selections and information that is input atuser input devices 1512, 1514, and 1515 are used to direct the flow ofinstructions executed by the processor. The results of this processingexecution are then displayed on display device 1510.

The processing device 1508 is configured to generate an output forviewing on the display 1510. Preferably, the video output to display1510 is also a graphical user interface, allowing the user to interactwith the displayed information.

The system 1500 may optionally include one or more remote subsystems1551 for communicating with processing device 1508 via a network 1550,such as a LAN, WAN or the internet. Remote subsystem 1550 may beconfigured to act as a web server, a client or both and will preferablybe browser enabled. Thus with system 1500, remote recording, mixing, andediting of audio material is possible.

In operation, multi-track recorder 1502 provides the processing device1508 with one or more tracks 1562 of recorded audio data. Tracks 1562may be created during a live recording session, or they may have beenrecorded previously. One or more tracks 1562 may be provided toprocessing device 1508 from recording sessions that occurred atdifferent locations or at different times. Remote subsystem 1551 can beutilized to provide additional audio track material to processing device1508 over network 1550. It shall be understood that different forms ofaudio connections may be used to transmit the individual track signalsto processing device 1508. For example, individual wired analogconnections can be utilized for each track, or the signals can bedigitized and transmitted over a single cable using a multiplexing ordigitally encoded protocol with decoding and separation being done bythe processing device 1508.

Tracks 1562 are applied to the processor 1508, which creates tonal andrhythm visualization components for each of the tracks 1562. In oneembodiment, the processing device 1508 can implements software operatingas a series of band pass filters to separate the signals into differentfrequency components. In another embodiment, the processing device 1508can implement software operating as an audio signal or note extractor.The frequency content is then mapped to certain colors within a tonalcircle or helix and displayed to the user. Various audio frequencyextraction methods are described in U.S. patent application Ser. No.61/025,374 filed Feb. 1, 2008 entitled “Apparatus and Method forVisualization of Music Using Note Extraction” which is herebyincorporated by reference in its entirety.

By viewing the track visualization components via display device 1510,for example, individually and in combination with other tracks,adjustment (i.e., editing and mixing) of the audio responsecharacteristics, e.g., bass, treble, volume, pan, sibilance, cowbell asonly a few non-limiting examples, can be much more easily made thanmerely by listening. This adjustment may be made using mixing controller1515, mouse 1514, or keyboard 1512. In one embodiment, mixing controller1515 comprises a plurality of electro-mechanical sliders, with eachslider assigned to a single track or group of tracks. In otherembodiments, mouse 1514 is used to adjust “virtual” sliders displayed ondisplay 1510 using the “click and drag” method.

FIG. 16 shows a visualization 1600 of a range of frequencies containedwithin a single recorded track. The points 1602 represent the individualtonal components of the sensed sound, with lines 1604 connectingtherebetween. Although FIG. 16 depicts a sound that has occurred withinthe octave range between 2 KHz and 4 KHz, it will be understood that anyrange or number of tonal subdivisions may be used depending on the levelof detail or tonal range required. The color of lines 1604 can beassigned according to a predefined scheme to indicate the relativerelationships of the various tonal elements.

FIG. 17 illustrates a visualization created by processing device 1508according to another embodiment. A tonal circle 1702 is subdivided intoa number of frequency intervals determined by the desired accuracy. Ateach interval, an indicator 1704 is displayed which represents a givenfrequency. The amplitude of the signal at the given frequencycorresponds to the radial distance of the indicator from a referenceperimeter 1706. As the amplitude increases or decreases, the indicatorwill move radially outward or inward respectively. For example, as shownin FIG. 17, there is a higher amplitude at the 200 Hz frequency and alower amplitude at the 1 KHz frequency. In addition to viewing a singlevisualization 1702 for a single track, multiple visualizations 1702 canbe displayed simultaneously, one for each track in a multi-trackrecording, so the user can make comparisons and adjust the volume orother properties of the tracks accordingly. This visualization can befurther extended by displaying the circle as a continuous helix uponwhich the various amplitude indicators are displayed.

FIG. 18 shows another embodiment of the present disclosure in whichseparate tonal circle visualizations 1802 are shown for each frequencyto be measured (200 Hz, 800 Hz, 2 KHz, and 5 KHz in this example). Inthis embodiment, the amplitude of the input signal at a given frequencypoint corresponds to the distance of the indicators 1804 from aperimeter reference point 1806. As shown in FIG. 18, the signalamplitude is higher than the reference point 1806 for the 200 Hz and 5KHz frequency bands. As the user lowers the amplitude of the originalsignal via user input device 1512, 1514, or 1515, the indicator 1804will move closer to the reference point 1806. In other embodiments, theamplitude of the signal can be made to correspond to the diameter orcolor intensity of the indicator 1806, providing the user withadditional visual indicators to ease the mixing and editing process.

In addition to amplitude, other signal characteristics can be displayedusing the method of the present disclosure. For example, the signalphase in relation to an established time reference can be displayedusing the circular representations discussed above. Informationconcerning the amount of compression or limiting can also be displayed,along with data representing thresholds, rates, attacks, and release.

While the disclosure has been illustrated and described in detail in thedrawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered asillustrative and not restrictive in character, it being understood thatonly the preferred embodiments have been shown and described and thatall-changes, modifications and equivalents that come within the spiritof the disclosure provided herein are desired to be protected. Thearticles “a,” “an,” “said,” and “the” are not limited to a singularelement, and may include one or more such elements.

1. An audio mixing and editing system, comprising: (1) a processingdevice; (2) a user control device operatively connected to saidprocessing device; and (3) a display operatively connected to saidprocessing device; wherein: said processing device executes computerreadable code to create a visual representation of a first measuredamplitude of a first audio track in a multi-track input for output onsaid display as visual feedback to a user performing audio mixing andediting functions related to the multi-track input; wherein: said visualrepresentation is generated according to a method comprising the stepsof: (a) providing a first plurality of labels in a pattern of a circulararc, wherein: (1) the first plurality of labels corresponds to a firstplurality of respective amplitudes; (2) moving clockwise orcounter-clockwise on the arc between any one of said labels represents afirst amplitude increment; (b) identifying a reference amplitude for thefirst audio track; (c) receiving the first measured amplitude of thefirst audio track; (d) identifying a first one of said first pluralityof labels corresponding to the reference amplitude; (e) identifying asecond one of said first plurality of said labels corresponding to thefirst measured amplitude; and (f) creating a first line connecting thefirst one of said first plurality of said labels and the second one ofsaid first plurality of said labels, wherein: (1) the first line is afirst color if the reference amplitude and the first measured amplitudeare separated by the first amplitude increment; (2) the first line is asecond color if the reference amplitude and the first measured amplitudeare separated by a first multiple of the first amplitude increment; (3)the first line is a third color if the reference amplitude and the firstmeasured amplitude are separated by a second multiple of the firstamplitude increment; (4) the first line is a fourth color if thereference amplitude and the first measured amplitude are separated by athird multiple of the first amplitude increment; (5) the first line is afifth color if the reference amplitude and the first measured amplitudeare separated by a fourth multiple of the first amplitude increment; and(6) the first line is a sixth color if the reference amplitude and thefirst measured amplitude are separated by a fifth multiple of the firstamplitude increment.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein step (a) of saidmethod further comprises arranging each of the labels to besubstantially evenly spaced from each adjacent label.
 3. The system ofclaim 1, wherein said circular arc comprises a circle.
 4. The system ofclaim 3, wherein moving clockwise up to 180 degrees from said referenceamplitude on said circle represents an increase in amplitude and movingcounterclockwise up to 180 degrees from said reference amplitude on saidcircle represents a decrease in amplitude.
 5. The system of claim 1,wherein the first color is red, the second color is orange, the thirdcolor is yellow, the fourth color is green, the fifth color is blue andthe sixth color is purple.
 6. The system of claim 1, wherein: the firstcolor has a first wavelength that is larger than a second wavelength ofthe second color; the second wavelength is larger than a thirdwavelength of the third color; the third wavelength is larger than afourth wavelength of the fourth color; the fourth wavelength is largerthan a fifth wavelength of the fifth color; and the fifth wavelength islarger than an sixth wavelength of the sixth color.
 7. The system ofclaim 1, wherein a plurality of said visual representations aregenerated on the display using said method, each one of said visualrepresentations corresponding to a different one of said audio tracks insaid multi-track input, each one of said visual representations beingdisplayed as a plurality of labels in the pattern of a separate circulararc.
 8. The system of claim 1, wherein said method further comprises thesteps of: (g) receiving a second measured amplitude for a second audiotrack in the multi-track input; (h) identifying a third one of saidfirst plurality of said labels corresponding to the second measuredamplitude; and (i) creating a second line connecting the first one ofsaid first plurality of said labels and the third one of said firstplurality of said labels, wherein: (1) the second line is the firstcolor if the reference amplitude and the second measured amplitude areseparated by the first amplitude increment; (2) the second line is thesecond color if the reference amplitude and the second measuredamplitude are separated by a first multiple of the first amplitudeincrement; (3) the second line is the third color if the referenceamplitude and the second measured amplitude are separated by a secondmultiple of the first amplitude increment; (4) the second line is thefourth color if the reference amplitude and the second measuredamplitude are separated by a third multiple of the first amplitudeincrement; (5) the second line is the fifth color if the referenceamplitude and the second measured amplitude are separated by a fourthmultiple of the first amplitude increment; and (6) the second line isthe sixth color if the reference amplitude and the second measuredamplitude are separated by a fifth multiple of the first amplitudeincrement.